Folklore Unbound: A Concise Introduction

by Sabra J. Webber

Folklore is a powerful resource that not only manages the past, giving it continuity, but also usefully comments on present cultural and social issues. This thoughtful, incisive work first charts important dimensions in the development of folklore studies from the eighteenth century to the present. Next, it marshals the major theoretical issues of the modern discipline, including performance theory, genre theory, the relationship with culture studies and the study of linguistic and musical art forms, the insights of comparative studies, public folklore, and even the place of folklore in the media. Webber draws heavily on the influential work and maverick charisma of Alan Dundes, world famous folklorist who expanded the definitions of both "folk" and "lore" for thousands of folklore students and underscored why lore should be studied ethnographically and aesthetically. Webber's aim is to evaluate the study of folklore as a tool for understanding the lived experience of various "folk" and for questioning, rather than reinforcing, the status quo. Her work, which draws from the rich methods and materials of many disciplines, shows originality, breadth, and a firm grasp of the history of folkloristics.

Genres: Folklore, Nonfiction, 21st Century

138 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2014

Reviews

[Ritika Chhabra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sabra J. Webber's Folklore Unbound: A Concise Introduction is exactly that: a concise introduction to folklore. The book marks a little history of the genre of folklore, outlining its past and present. There are mentions of most of the big names of academic scholarship and a brief glimpse as to what their work is all about. In that way, then, the book also outlines the various theories concerning folklore and points to its relationship with the other academic genres. For a novice, this is a fantastic introduction to the world of folkloristics, especially if one intends to pursue the same at a university-level; majorly because, as previously mentioned, the reader gets a glimpse into the origins, definitions, generic classifications, developments, and also its possible future trajectory, given everything known so far.

Other than that, although the book is preferred for academic readings, I believe that its simple language and easy usage renders its accessible to almost everyone. Webber does not go into details about the semantics of the genre, but rather, keeps her language lucid enough and free of the highly technical issues to provide a "concise" introduction to her readers. There is, however, a detailed list of sources cited at the end of the book which covers more than enough help for further study, if anyone decides to pursue a topic at all.

I read this book when I was a teaching assistant for a course on World Folk Literature, and a lot of my students (who asked for recommendations) found it extremely helpful. The book is barely over a hundred pages, so for anyone seeking a quick review of the Folkloristics from an academic point of view, this book is a definite must. And for those of us who would like to refresh their memories about their roots, this book is the perfect one. Ergo, for anyone seeking to learn about the basics of folklore, here is your next read for you.
you need to read today!

[Mellie Durrett-johnson]

Required reading for a class which was taught by the author.